THE fans favourite returns to Motherwell, a decade after quitting the club for the Premiership, on a short term deal until the end of the season.

JAMES McFADDEN last night completed his Mothewell return a decade after quitting the club for the Premiership.

But Well boss Stuart McCall insists the Fir Park fans’ favourite will have to wait for his chance to shine second time around.

The Scotland international signed a short term deal until the end of the season and will go straight into the squad for tonight’s rearranged home SPL clash with Dundee United.

However, given he has played just 34 minutes of football this season before being released by Sunderland during the transfer window, the 29-year-old will have to settle for a place on the bench.

The last time the attacker completed a full 90 minutes was September 2010 when he was at Birmingham.

McCall, left, had planned to hold transfer talks after this evening’s match and admitted he was taken aback by the speed of events which led to Faddy’s signing.

He said: “I was adamant I wouldn’t speak to James until the United game was past but at three o’clock James came to see me and asked if we could work something out.

“We spoke for about 15-20 minutes and he clearly wanted to get something done. He and I just spoke about football. There was no mention of money or anything else.

“I explained everything to him and he accepts that we’re second in the table, we’re going well and he might have to wait for his chance to play.

“He’s hungry and he’s focused, James is in better shape now than he was when he was training with us at the start of the season.

“But he hasn’t played a lot of football in the past 12-18 months and people have to keep that in mind.

“I’m not involved in the finances at all. That’s not my area. I had to go to a managers’ meeting at Perth and it was when I came out of that I got a message that everything had been agreed.

“At this moment would I see him going straight into our first team? I think that would be really unfair.”

Celtic were also in the hunt to land the free agent but his wage demands had priced him out of any move. With his options limited McFadden opted to commit his future to the club who launched his career.

He said: “I need to get back playing competitive first-team football and this is the best place for me.

“The team are flying high near the top of the table, but I hope I can add something to that over the next few months.”

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THE SCOTLAND talisman and fan favourite has made a sensational return to Motherwell after a decade spent south of the border. In today's special picture gallery we look through some of his many career highlights and chart his journey back home to Fir Park.